Dear Friends and District Five Residents:
This is the September Newsletter with some general information on economic development, infrastructure updates, and more.
I encourage you to stay connected by following me on Facebook @CouncilmanBarajas or Instagram @CouncilmanBarajas
I hope you enjoy this e-newsletter. Please reach out to me if I may be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Chris Barajas
Mayor Pro Tempore
COMMUNITY development
PROJECT: VERNOLA RANCH 153 ACRES
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Vernola Ranch: The Community Development Department is currently processing a PreApplication for the proposed “Vernola Ranch” project. The applicant proposes to construct Vernola Ranch, a planned residential community on 153 acres located just east of the I-15 Freeway, south of Bellegrave Avenue, north of Limonite Avenue, and west of Pats Ranch Road.
The proposal includes subdivision of land currently used for agriculture into several interconnected residential communities, including 1,576 single- and multi-family units, internal streets, open spaces and amenities, sidewalks and trails, landscaping, and parking areas.
A future commercial development is proposed at the intersection of Limonite Avenue and I-15 freeway to complement the land uses proposed at Vernola Ranch and the existing residential communities (Harvest Village, Sky Country, Township). The applicant plans to submit formal entitlement applications later this year. A study session is scheduled for October 7.
DISTRICT AT RUBIDOUX
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Community Development Department received a new Land Use Entitlement Application on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 for “The District at Rubidoux” project. The District @ Rubidoux is an approximately 250-acre site located off the SR-60 Freeway and Rubidoux Blvd. at the southeast corner of the Rubidoux neighborhood in the City of Jurupa Valley. The site is currently entitled under the Emerald Meadows Ranch Specific Plan, approved in 2005. The proposed District @ Rubidoux Specific Plan will rescind and replace most of the existing Emerald Meadow’s Ranch Specific Plan. The proposed District @ Rubidoux Specific Plan will establish a new master plan community that will transform the site into a mixed-use development comprised of warehouse/logistics, retail, commercial, hospitality, and mixed density residential, with the integration of open space and recreation uses. The Community Development Department will begin to review the application.
community SERVICE
Let us #neverforget the lives lost including our first responders and their families 20 years ago on 9/11/2001. Thank you to Dave and Kathy Barnes, Frazier, Emerson, Al and Irene, Bob, Steve, Mike, Weaver, Gary, and many of our Veterans for holding this remembrance ceremony each and every year since the terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. I also want to thank the JVHS Choir and all our first responders who attended the Remembrance event. #jurupavalley #PatriotDay
infrastructure
We approved the interim urgency ordinance I brought forward to place a moratorium on expansion or establishment of gasoline service stations for an additional 10 months to allow us to study what, if any, future gas stations would/could look like and what they must provide to be a benefit to our residents. Some key takeaways would be to convert the current process to a Conditional Use Permit process and enhance our development standards which could include such things as electrification and other alternative fuels in addition to set backs, landscaping, and mitigation of potential fuel tanks that could later lead to #brownsites when abandoned as we continue to move towards alternative fuels.
You can view the Press Enterprise article Here
Pacific Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Path Improvements
JURUPA ROAD GRADE SEPARATION UPDATE:
Construction of the Jurupa Rd Grade Separation has started and will go through June of 2023. New roads are being built to connect to Van Buren as alternate routes and improvements are being made to the intersection of Galena/Rutile and Van Buren including a traffic signal at Pedley and Jurupa. #jurupavalley #infrastructure
You can see more info and stay up to date with road closures and more here:
RESOURCES
council business/community news
Congratulations to Jurupa Valley Adopt a Family Program on their new location! Looking forward to the Christmas parade and all the community service projects #JVAAF provides throughout the year. If you're interested in volunteering be sure to reach out to them via their social media accounts or visit their website here: http://www.jvadoptafamily.org/
Traffic Safety Committee meetings are open to the public and streamed live! Do you have a concern regarding speed mitigation, stop signs, traffic signal timing, e.t.c please email our committee for review: https://www.jurupavalley.org/265/Traffic-Safety-Committee
JCSD presented a brief overview of their Preparedness and Emergency Response Program at this month’s Interagency Coordinating Council Meeting. All agencies shared updates on what their working on. The JCSD project on Granite Hill off Pyrite will require dynamiting. We'll be sure to share when that is scheduled to start. Any questions please email me at cbarajas@jurupavalley.org #jurupavalley #jcsd #rcsd #jusd
Taco Tuesday at the Jurupa Hills Country Club before Jurupa AYSO Region 462 soccer practice! Check out the next Taco Tuesday, great food and even better service! #jurupavalley #ayso462
The Van Buren and Jurupa Rd intersection is one of the, if not the most impacted, at grade railroad crossings in Riverside County with 30k daily trips on Van Buren and 12k on Jurupa. The Jurupa Road Grade Separation will improve connectivity, traffic movement, business accessibility, public safety response times, and more.
I want to thank General Richard Roth and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes for securing the bulk of the funding for this project. I also want to thank Riverside County Transportation Commission for funding the gap. Lastly, I want to thank Supervisor Karen Spiegel and the Riverside County Transportation Department for their partnership and coordination with City of Jurupa Valley staff on construction schedules, business outreach, and more! #jurupavalley #jurupagradeseparation
Jurupa Rd is tentatively scheduled to close on the west side of Van Buren in October and the East side sometime around December and will remain closed until project completion around May/June 2023.
